Singapore Airlines Gluten-Free Flight Review - Singapore to Seattle

Location: Singapore - Seattle

Flight Number: SQ 28

Date: 6/01/2025

Quick Singapore Airlines Gluten-Free Overview:

Pros:

• Great service.

• Good quality gluten-free food.

• no reaction to the food.

Cons:

• Can not guarantee cross-contamination.

• Meals could be better spaced throughout the flight.

• Some people may not enjoy chicken being served twice.

A Coeliac Traveller's Tip:

Proceed with caution. The service and food on board was terrific, however the airline can not guarantee cross-contamination. Also make sure to pre-book in advance.

Singapore Airlines Gluten Free Flight Full Review:

Good morning Readers,

Welcome back to another gluten-free airline review, once again onboard Singapore Airlines. After a joyful 22 hours in Singapore, it was time to head back to Changi Airport to resume our journey to the U.S. Today’s flight would take us from Singapore to Seattle, a journey of over 13 hours - a proper long-haul flight. Onboard an Airbus A350, we were seated in the middle of the aircraft.

Singapore Airlines Service:

Service onboard Singapore Airlines flights is consistently first-class, and this flight was no exception. Shortly after taking our seats, a flight attendant came by to confirm our special meal requests. Once it was confirmed that we had booked gluten-free meals, a sticker was placed on the back of our seat, making it clear to other flight attendants that we had dietary requirements. 

Special meals are served first and separately from the main service. This meant we received our meals about ten minutes before everyone else. While a small thing, this highlights the care that Singapore Airlines takes and while they cannot guarantee traces, at least it seems they take some precautions. Additionally, the bread roll accompanying our second meal came separately wrapped, minimising the chance of cross-contamination. The only minor downfall to receiving your meal first is that you will have to wait ten minutes for the main trolley to arrive if you want any additional beverages with your meal. 

Singapore Airlines Gluten-Free Meals:

The first gluten-free meal, served not long after takeoff, consisted of chicken, rice and cauliflower, a small salad, and a cinnamon cake. The chicken was tasty - well cooked and flavourful. The rice and cauliflower complimented the dish nicely. The cinnamon cake was alright - a little dry and in typical gluten-free fashion crumbly. It was perhaps the worst dessert we received on any of the flights we took with Singapore Airlines during our trip, and not nearly as good as the chocolate ice-cream received on the journey from Melbourne-Singapore.

A look at our first meal of the flight:  Chicken, rice, and cauliflower. Small salad and cinnamon cake.

A better look at the chicken, cauliflower, beans and rice.

The second gluten-free meal to be served throughout the flight was more of a more eclectic mix: fruit salad, strawberry yoghurt, a bread roll, chicken, eggs, beans and potatoes. This combination worked quite well and provided another satisfying meal.  The chicken was again well-cooked and flavourful. While I am particularly fond of eggs on their own, they were nice enough in this meal. The strawberry yoghurt was creamy and full of flavour and paired well with the fruit salad. A highlight of all Singapore Airlines meals is that they provide a well rounded meal. The main course is always complimented by some sort of desert, and as someone who enjoys a sweet treat with a meal, this is a welcomed touch.

The second meal of the flight: Fruit salad, strawberry yoghurt, bread roll, chicken, eggs, beans, and potatoes

One minor complaint for this flight was the timing of our meals. The first meal was just over an hour into the flight, and the second around the 6-7 hour mark. With still the better part of six hours to go until landing, this left quite a strong stretch without a meal. While small snacks were distributed during this period, unfortunately, none were gluten-free. Luckily, I had pre-packed a range of my own gluten-free snacks so we weren’t hungry when we arrived at Seattle. It is a good reminder to always have a backup stash of food just in case. Additionally, some people may find the serving of chicken twice to be not to their liking. As someone who enjoys chicken, this was not a concern, and each meal had enough of a difference to make it seem unique. 

Concluding thoughts:

Before long, we touched down in Seattle, bringing to an end an over 13 hour long journey.  Overall, the gluten-free meals provided by Singapore Airlines were satisfying and fulfilling. Apart from the minor issues mentioned above, the service provided was great, and the meals were tasty. Better yet I had no reaction which is always a positive, particularly at 40,000ft.

This review was correct as of January 2025.

Other flight reviews:

Singapore Airlines Gluten-Free Review - Melbourne to Singapore

Gluten-Free Flying: Virgin Australia Melbourne to Cairns Review